The present disclosure relates to a method and instrument for debulking or reducing a large tissue volume such as a cyst or tumor. More particularly, it relates to surgical systems, instruments, and methods useful in reducing and removing tumors and fibrous tissues. The tissue often contains high collagen content and is a form of connective tissue. In terms of tumors arising from high collagen content tissues, the tumors may replicate the properties of the tissues and therefore present a challenge to resection.
Use of such surgical cutting instruments generally entails delivering a cutting window/cutting tip of a cutting implement to the target site and positioning the cutting window such that the cutting tip is exposed to the desired tissue. It is desirable to remove the center or bulk of the target tissue as quickly as possible. In this regard, a variety of surgical instruments, such as a cavitational ultrasonic surgical aspirator (CUSA) or a surgical laser knife, are commonly used.
A debulker is a type of microdebrider blade. A debulker mates with a surgical handpiece that provides irrigation fluid, suction, controlled torque to the inner blade member, and a mechanical interface to hold and position the debulker blade. Irrigation can be forced between the inner blade member and the outer blade driving the flow from a proximal end connected to the handpiece to the distal cutting end. The microdebrider blades often tear off chunks of tissue. When the blade resects the tissue a mixture of irrigant and resected tissue is drawn down the lumen of the inner blade member via suction and travels from the distal end to the proximal end to then exit through the handpiece.
In light of the above, a need exists for surgical systems and methods for quickly reducing or removing tumors and/or fibroid tissue.